Soils: Determining Landscape Slope

Preparation for determining landscape soil slope at the Utah Envirothon soil test station. Instructor: Meredith Albers, NRCS Resource Soil Scientist.

[@steveg9863]

Super helpful, thanks for the explainer! Got a clinometer hand-me-down, and learning to use for trees and slope! This is the best slope video I've seen yet! NRCS!

[@Lucysdad66]

As a former grade checker / surveyor when we use a clinometer You hold it about 8" away standing straight and use a folding wooden tape next to it so you can see the tape and the dial inside at the same time and you would aim at the stake but with a ribon and you measure the ribon to the ground and doing it that way you can be very accurate quarter inch or better we had to be within a tenth or 2 at 100 feet.

[@torispencer2143]

Very helpful video! Thank you for the explanation!

[@Team6OWG]

If you read the clinometer placed on the top of the stake, and then aim the horizontal optical line at the top of the stake down the line. Arnt you reading at a angle above or below? Since you would want to read the top of the stake to the top wouldnt the center of the clinometer from its side, so the middle of the circle, has to be either next to or you read the clinometer from behind and line up the 2nd stake so you are reading both in a line.

[@CALI714GS]

very helpful video!

[@jimhouser2556]

good thing she mentioned that the top of stakes need to be the same heights.

[@rebeccad8552]

So with a clinometer app, rather than an actual clinometer instrument, does it work the same? Do I put it on the stake and line my eye up with the other stake and make sure the screen is sloped at the right angle? I'm going to have to play with it and see what happens.

[@stevek8829]

It appears that the fancy one is only estimating, if you can't actually sight it, but only look alongside.